Pillows



Jan. 16, 1962 w. M.EMERY 3,017,221

PILLOWS Filed Sept. 6, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 16, 1962 w. M. EMERY 3,017,221

PILLOWS Filed Sept. 6, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,017,221 PILLOWS William M. Emery, 44 Pittsford Way, New Providence, NJ. Filed Sept. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 54,055 10 Claims. (Cl. 297-397) My present invention refers to duplex inflatable pillows, designed especially to extend the back of a seat to sup port primarily the head when turned with a certain side forward, and to support the neck when turned with the other side forward.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a pillow either inflatable or non-inflatable capable of doing this. Since comfortable chairs are being made with lower backs and the front auto seats scarcely extend above the shoulders, the passenger more and more requires a head support, not only for comfort when driving or dozing but also for safety as evidenced by the increasing nnmber of whip neck injuries incident to accidents and also sudden starting and stopping. A further object is to provide a pillow that solves the above need and also one which will fit interchangeably almost any car and also that can be folded conveniently to go into the glove compartment when not required. An additional object is to provide a pillow not only stiff enough to extend the back of the seat but also a design that hooks onto or braces itself against the top of the seat. Other objects will be apparent from the following description, claims and drawings in which:

FIG. l is a plan view of my invention after the first heat sealing operation (not inflated or stuffed),

FIG. 2 is a top view of my pillow stuffed or inflated after the second and final heat sealing operation,

P16. 3 shows my pillow in use to support the head with its ears extending back over the top of the seat for further support,

FIG. 4 shows my pillow in use, with its ears extending forward and hooking on the shoulders of the user to sup port the neck, tending to resist lateral jarring of the head,

FIG. 5 is a front view of the pillow when used as shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is principally a back view of the pillow only slightly from the side and below,

FIG. 7 is a view of the pillow from a side and back angle, and

FIG. 8 is a view identical to FIG. 6 of a modified em bodiment characterized by the omission of certain areas included in FIG. 6.

It should be understood that this pillow may be made as an inflatable in which case the seams will be made by electronic high frequency heal sealing or some form of fusion or vulcanizing; or it may be stuffed wiith foam, kapok, natural down, feathers, etc., in which case the covering will probably be a woven fabric sewed at the seams.

Accordingly, in the following description, when I say heat seal, I mean to include all other methods of making suitable seams, and when I say inflate, I also mean to claim and include any and all forms of conventional stufling as well as molded foam rubber, etc.

To illustrate my invention 1 have selected as an embodiment, a design suitable for inflation, and as such it is essentially an ingenious one piece design, but it is obvious that with only slight modifications its finished shape could be made suitable for stuffing, etc.

I have indicated in FIG. 1 certain portions of the peripheral heat seal as lit to 19. Internal seams are indicated as 29 to 27, and the second or final heat sealed seam is indicated as 3il and 31, and is shown as a broken circle or part of a circle in FIG. 1. Seams 10 to 27 3,l7,22l Patented .lan. 16, 1962 represent the heat sealing of two thicknesses of sheet material, such as vinyl. When this is done the piece as shown in FIG. 1 is folded along line BB so that 13 lines up with part of 17 and 13 with part of 17, and 27 lines up substantially with 24 so that the area represented by Bill will line up with 31, so that these four thicknesses of sheeting may be heat sealed together with a circular die substantially of the size and shape of 31. This die is of a tear seal type, so that the center of the circle 31 may be removed, leaving a hole for ventilation without effecting the circular seal.

The valve for inflating may be positioned in any suitable location but it is indicated as 40.

When this pillow is thus heat sealed and inflated, it takes on the unique shape shown in FIG. 2.

For further illucidation I have numbered certain areas 5% to 59 and where the areas in certain views are on the unde neath side, the numerals or lead lines are shown in broken lines. Areas 46 and 57 are not inflated since they are surrounded by seals 2425 and 27 respectively. The peripheral seals 10 to 19 are tear seals which means material beyond them is torn away including areas 58 and 59. The seal from 14 to 15 and 14' to 15' is separated and torn apart respectively from the adjoining seal 11 to 16 and 11' to 16. The circular enlargement of seals at the ends of 29, 21, 22, 23, 23 and 26 are for the purpose of strengthening the terminals of these seals.

The space between areas 54 and 55 and between 58 and 59 form a passageway for the inside air to pass from the body of the pillow to inflate the two wings 5d and 56. It is within the scope of my invention for my pillow to terminate at the fold line BB, and for the upper portion shown in FIG. 1 to be eliminated substantially as shown in PEG. 5. Then the wings. Ell and Ed would jut forth directly from the areas 52 and 52' or the areas 53 and 53.

I wish to point out that it is within the scope of my invention, as alternative constructions, to continue seal 23 until it contacts 19' and 23 until it joins w, so that the area bounded by 23, 23, 19 and 19 is not inflated. Likewise included is a construction that eliminates this area entirely so that the tapered area between 17, 18 and 23, and 17', 18 and 23 become tapered legs depending from 52 and 52 entirely separated at their extremities, or without departing from my invention, they may be interconnected with a strap, elastic or a portion of the vinyl integrally as part of the pillow.

It should also be noted that the angular spacing between the peripheral seal 17 and internal seal 23, and their left hand equivalents, is such that the body of the pillow as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and also in FIGS. 5 and 6 is tapered or wedge shape with the major fullness, strength and stiffness being at the top adjacent to the wings to support the head. This tapering off towards l9 and 19' provides a gradual transition between the back of the chair and the pillow. It is believed that the resultant stiflness and the ability to withstand deformation, varies geometrically between the second and third powers of the transverse distance which makes the effect of this tapering particularly pronounced.

The bulbous shape and arcuate profile of various parts such as the wings 5d and 59 are, while part of my invention, actually characteristic of inflatables. For example, seal 13 is straight as shown in FIG. 1 but concave arcuate as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Although the wing 59 is separated from wing Si) by seal 26 and partially separated from the body of the pillow by peripheral seams 14, 15, 11 and 16, said wings are tied to the body of the pillow by areas 54 and 55, and sealed to the body of the pillow by fusing or sealing together 39 and 31. The end result is that when the pillow is. inflated, areas 53 and 53' and likewise 5t? and 51' become bulbous and 3 press against each other respectively so that the wings are forced backwards until the bulbous surfaces 51 and 51 contact each other. As shown in FIG. 2, and speaking in very general terms, seams 11 and 16 make an angle approaching half a right angle, and 15 and 15 make an angle approaching that of a right angle.

I call this pillow a duplex pillow because it functions in two different ways according to which way the Wings are directed. As shown in FIG. 3, my pillow is used to support the back of the head with the wings extending over the top of the back of the seat 60. As shown in FIG. 4, it may be turned around with the wings forward and especially if the whole pillow is dropped so that the top of the wings are about at the level of the ears, and the lower point of the wings rest pretty much on the shoulders. In this position, my unique pillow will support the neck from lateral movement as well as the head. Being an inflatable, it is easy to vary the size, hardness, softness and stiffness of the bulbous parts to suit the choice and size of the user, as well. as the height and angle of the chair back.

A careful study of the various views, noting the arrangement of the various parts shown therein as indicated by the numerals, will show the utility and uniqueness of my pillow, and the aptness of a broad interpretation of my description and claims more effectively than further verbiage.

Accordingly, I claim:

1. In a pillow suitable to provide extended support beyond the top of the back of a seat, a body portion tapered in thickness from top to bottom and two wings jutting from the top part of the body portion at an angle to said body portion to rest on the top of the seat, and thereby support said top portion when the head of the user presses there against.

2. In a pillow suitable to provide extended support beyond the top of the back of a seat, a body portion tapered in thickness from top to bottom, the lower, thinner portion being suitable for placement between the back of the user and the back of the seat, said upper thicker portion being arranged for extra stiffness because of said thickness to support the head of the user with the pillow when extended beyond the top of the back of said seat, and two wings centrally located and closely positioned extending from said thicker portion to contact and support the sides of the head and neck of the user.

3. In an inflatable pillow comprising of two sheets of nonporus material fused together on their periphery, a shorter section partially separated from a longer section, said shorter section being folded back on the longer section and fused thereto, said longer section when inflated to form the body of the pillow, the lower part of the longer section being suitable for insertion between the back of the user and the back of his seat, and the shorter section when inflated forming two wings which extend at an angle from the upper part of the said longer section for further firmness and support.

4. In a pillow comprising of a body section tapered in thickness from one end towards the other and two bulbous wings extending substantially from the centerline of the thicker portion of said body section at opposite cliverging angle therefrom, the bulbous cheeks of said wings contacting and pressing against each other and against the adjacent surface of the thicker portion of said body.

5. In a pillow comprising of a body section, tapered in thickness from one end towards the other and two wings extending substantially from the center line of the thicker portion of said body section at a diverging angle of substantially half of a right angle relative to the body section and an angle of approximately a right angle relative to each other.

6. In a pillow comprising a body section, at least one wing jutting from the ripper half of said body section, an opening clear through the central portion of the pillow, having a periphery and means utilizing at least part of said periphery to join at least said one Wing to said body section.

7. In a pillow comprising of four thicknesses of flexible sheet material joined together in such a manner as to permit it to be filled or stuffed, a head rest portion formed from two of said thicknesses and two wings formed from the other two thicknesses, and arranged to extend at an angle away from said head rest portion and two legs depending from said head rest portions in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction in which said wings extend.

8. A pillow comprising of a head rest portion, wings extending at an angle therefrom, and two tapered leg sections depending downward from said head rest portion, and designed to rest on the back of an auto seat to support the head rest portion when said wings rest on the top of said back of said seat.

9. An inflatable pillow comprising of a body portion tapered in thickness from the upper end towards the lower end, a folded back portion substantially a continuation of the upper portion, means to inflate said two portions and means to attach the outboard end of the folded back portion to the body portion.

10. An inflatable pillow comprising a head rest portion, wings extending backwards at an angle therefrom, being flexibly attached thereto on a substantially vertical axis, said wings automatically projecting themselve incident to the inflation of said pillow to extend over the top of the back of a seat, and two tapered leg sections depending downward from said head rest portion, and designed to rest against the back of said seat to further balance and support the head rest portion when said wings rest on the top of said back of said seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,155 Smith Mar. 11, 1952 2,682,918 Porter July 6, 1954 2,835,311 Reeves et al May 20, 1958 

